Corrugated suspension bar for garment boxes



Oct. 9, 1962 1. RICHER CORRUGATED SUSPENSION BAR FOR GARMENT BOXES Filed Feb. 10, 1960 HHHHIIUIIM' L I L L 9 L INVENTOI? Irv/ 9 R/CHER 62; W

PATENT AGENT United htatee The present invention relates to a suspension bar for garment boxes, and more particularly to a suspension bar or unit made of fibreboard and adapted to be disposed across the top portion of a corrugated box and rest on the top edges of opposite sidewalls thereof, and said bar being provided with means for suspending hangers within the box, so that garments supported from said hangers may hang freely Within the box in wrinkle free condition. The suspension bar of the present invention has the general construction and is supported by the box as described in my U.S. Patent No. 2,827,160.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for positively locking the hangers in suspended position from the suspension bar, so that the hangers will not accidentally be dislodged therefrom during handling and shipping of the garment box.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of means on a suspension bar of the character described for allowing the hanging of hangers at irregular distances between one another depending on the different thicknesses of the garments supported by the hangers while providing simple and positive locking means for preventing disengagement of the hangers from the suspension bar.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of locking means for the hangers which do not require any additional elements and are wholly constituted by the fibreboard of the suspension bar itself.

Still another important object of the present invention is the provision of locking means on a suspension bar which prevent lateral as well as vertical movement of the hanger hooks with respect to the suspension bar and thereby prevent the hooks from opening and sliding away from the suspension bar under the weight of the garments.

Yet another important object of the present invention is the provision of a blank for making the suspension bar with the locking means in accordance with the invention.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the top portion of a garment box, and of a suspension bar in accordance with the invention showing how the bar is adapted to be fitted in the box;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View of the blank for the suspension bar; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of the suspension bar with a hanger hook engaged therewith.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, reference numeral 1 indicates a suspension bar in accordance with the invention which is generally made in accordance with U.S. Patent 2,827,160 previously mentioned. This suspension bar has a T-shape cross section providing a central flange 2 adapted to lie in a vertical plane and a top flange 3 adapted to rest on the top edges 4 of opposite side walls 5 of the box B with the central flange 2 passing through slits 5' made in said sidewalls 5.

The suspension bar further includes end flanges 6 disposed at right angle to the flanges 2 and 3 at both ends atent 3,057,482 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 TQQ central longitudinally extending fold line 7, and on both sides of said central fold line 7, lateral fold lines 8 equally spaced and parallel to the central fold line 7. Furthermore, near each end of the blank a transverse fold line 9 meeting with the longitudinal fold line and defining end sections for the blank. The portions of the blank between the lateral fold lines 8 and the central fold line 7 are two central sections 10 and 10' while the portions at the exterior of the lateral fold line 8 and between the transverse fold line 9 form external sections 11. The end sections are slit by slits 12 and 13 originating at the lateral fold lines 8 and central fold line 7 respectively and terminating at the end edges of the blank to define end flaps 22 and 23.

Longitudinally extending elongated slots 14 and 15 are made in central sections 1% and 10 respectively. The slots are symmetrically opposed with respect to the central fold line 7 and their longitudinal edges are parallel to the central fold line. Each slot has a flap 16 and 17 respectively, which depend from a longitudinal edge of the associated slot and is substantially coextensive therewith. Thus each slot and associated flap is made by cutting the central section 10 or 10 on three sides of a generally rectangular figure and making a score line along the remaining side whereby the flap depends from and is integrally connected to the central section of the blank.

The flaps 16 associated with slots 14 depend from the long edge thereof farther from the central fold line 7 as indicated at 18, while the flaps 17 associated with slots 15 depend from the long edge 19 of the associated slots nearer the central fold line 7.

The flaps 16 have also a Width slightly smaller than the width of their associated slots 14 so that their free edge 20 is spaced from the opposite free edge of said slots. The slots are made as long as possible without unduly weakening the suspension bar.

The blank is folded about the central fold line 7 whereby the two central sections 10 now constitute a double layer for the central flange 3 of the suspension bar, and the lateral sections 11 are then folded about their respective lateral fold line 8, so as to come at right angles to the central layers 10 and 10 to thereby constitute the top flange 2 of the suspension bar, as clearly shown in FIGURE 3. The end flaps 22 and 23 defined by the end sections and the slits 12 and 13 of the blank are folded about the transverse fold lines 9 in respective overlapping position and stapled or otherwise secured together in order to define the end flanges 6 of the suspension bar which are adapted to engage the outer surface of the lateral walls of the box B.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the lateral walls of box B are preferably provided with externally and downwardly turned flaps 24 which are also slit with slits 5" registering with slits 5' such that the end flanges of the suspension bar actually lie on the outside of said flaps 24. This reinforces the top portion of the side walls 5 which have to bear the entire Weight suspended from the suspension bar 1.

Preferably, a steel bar 25 is inserted between the two layers 10 and 10 of central flange 3 and is arranged between the central fold line 7 which constitutes the lower free edge of the central flange and the lower edges of the registering slots as shown in FIGURE 3. This steel bar extends to the end flaps 23 of the suspension bar 1 and therefore rest on the bottom of the slits 5' and 5" made in side walls 5 of box B. To further reinforce the suspension bar the inside and/ or outside of the blank may be lined with a fiber tape, such as a fiber glass tape, disposed along and covering the fold line 7. The tape may be used without steel bar 25, if desired.

:Flaps 17 of slots 15 are pressed through the registering slots so as to lie at right angles to the two layers of the central flange and the top hinged flap 16 is also knocked out to the inclined position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3 Thus, it is very easy to insert hooks 26 of hangers through the pair of registering slots 14 and 15 so that the hooks will rest on the folded flap 17 which will engage the inside thereof between the two parallel legs of the hooks and thus prevent lateral displacement of the hooks with respect to the suspension bar. Thereafter, the top hinged flap 16 is pressed back into engagement with the top of the hooks in a position fitted within its associated slot 14 as shown in full line in FIGURE 3, wherein it positively locks the hooks against the flaps 17 and prevent vertical displacement of the hooks.

Each pair of slots 14 and 15 are adapted to receive several hanger hooks at irregular spacing so as to take care of garments of different thicknesses.

The top flap 16 has a width smaller than its associated slot 14 in order to easily take a locking position, while allowing for the thickness of the hook. The steel bar 25 is used for heavy weight garments but may be dispensed with for lighter weight garments.

The bottom hinged flap 17 positively prevents lateral displacement of the hooks which could cause sufficient leverage under the weight of the garments to open the hooks whereby the latter would slide off the slots 14 and 15.

While a square shaped hook 26 has been shown, rounded hanger hooks could be used as obviously flaps 16 which are made of fibreboard, can engage rounded hooks as well.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A blank of corrugated fibreboard for making into a suspension bar for a garment box, said blank being of substantially rectangular shape with end edges and longitudinal edges, said blank being scored to provide a central longitudinal fold line and longitudinal fold lines on both sides of said central fold line, equally spaced therefrom and parallel thereto, to define two central flanges and two external flanges, said central flanges having a row of longitudinally extending elongated slots symmetrically disposed on each side of said central fold line so as to register with one another when said central flanges are folded against each other about said central fold line, and a flap for each slot substantially co-extensive therewith and integrally pivotally depending from a longitudinal edge thereof parallel to said central fold line, the flaps on one side of said central fold line depending from the longitudinal edge of their associated slots nearer said central fold line and the flaps on the other side of said central fold line depending from the longitudinal edge of their associated slots farther from said central fold line.

2. A blank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the flaps depending from the edge farther from the central fold line is slightly shorter than the width of the slots associated with said last named flaps so that the free edge of said flaps are spaced from the corresponding free edge of their associated slots when said flaps are fitted within said associated slots.

3. A blank as claimed in claim 1, further scored to provide a pair of transverse fold lines one near each end of the blank to define end sections, each end section being slit by slits running from the respective ends of the longitudinal fold lines to the free edge of said end sections to define separate flaps in said end sections. 7

4. A suspension bar for suspending hangers in a garment box, said bar made of a sheet of fibreboard shaped and folded to provide two substantially rectangular flanges one of which is adapted to rest on the top edges of the side walls of a garment box and extend across the top portion of the latter and the other flange of which is adapted to lie in a vertical plane with its longitudinal lower edge in a horizontal plane, said last named flange being constituted by two layers of fibreboard each having a row of elongated slots made therethrough, said slots being arranged in registering pairs and extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal free lower edge of said last named flange and a hinged flap for each of said slots coextensive therewith and integrally pivotally depending from a longitudinal edge of said slots, the flaps associated with the slots of one of said layers depending from the longitudinal edge of their associated slots nearer the free lower edge of said flange and pivotable at right angles to said flange to engage the inner surface of hanger hooks received in said slots and prevent lateral displacement of said hanger hooks with respect to said flange, and the flaps associated with the slots of the other of said layers depending from the longitudinal edge of their associated slots farther from the free lower edge of said flange and adapted to extend in the plane of said flange to engage the top of said hanger hooks and maintain the same against the longitudinal edge of said slots nearer said free lower edge of said flange.

5. A suspension bar for suspending hangers in a garment box, made of a sheet of fibreboard folded into a member having a T-shape cross-section with a double layer central flange adapted to lie in a vertical plane and with a right angular flange adapted to lie in a horizontal plane and rest on the top edges of opposite side walls of a garment box, said central flange having a lower free edge adapted to be horizontally disposed, said two layers of said central flange having each a row of elongated slots registering in pairs and having their longitudinal edges substantially parallel to the longitudinal free edge of said central flange, a hinged flap for each slot coextensive therewith and integrally pivotally depending from a longitudinal edge thereof, each registering pair of slots adapted to receive a plurality of hanger hooks and said flaps engageable with the hooks to lock the same in suspended position within the slot, the flaps associated with one layer depending from the longitudinal edge of the respective slots farther from the lower free edge of the flange and the flaps associated with the other layer depending from the longitudinal edge of the respective slots nearer the lower free edge of said flange, the latter flaps being folded at right angles through the pair of registering slots to engage the inside of the hook of a hanger and the first named flaps being adapted to extend in the plane of its associated layer to engage the top surface of said hooks.

6. A bar as claimed in claim 5, further including a steel bar disposed between the two layers of the central flange and between the rows of slots and the lower free edge of the flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,681 Wiebusch July 2, 1929 2,153,976 Thorman Apr. 11, 1939 2,350,275 Eppy May 30, 1944 2,827,160 Richer Mar. 18, 1958 2,893,545 Garfunkel July 7, 1959 

